Roasted hemp seeds ground with garlic, green chilli and lemon into a nutty, pungent paste — the essential table condiment of every Pahadi meal in Uttarakhand.
Ingredients
1/2 cup bhang seeds (culinary hemp seeds — no psychoactive compounds; available at Indian stores and health food stores)
4 garlic cloves — peeled
2 to 3 green chillies — adjust to preference
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp black salt
Regular salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander
2 to 3 tbsp water — only if needed to grind
Method
Dry-roast hemp seeds in a small pan on medium heat stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until they pop and smell deeply nutty.
Transfer immediately to a plate to cool — they burn quickly.
Dry-roast garlic cloves in the same pan for 3 to 4 minutes turning regularly until they develop golden-brown spots and smell cooked.
Dry-roast green chillies 1 to 2 minutes until slightly blistered. Cool everything completely.
Grind the cooled hemp seeds, garlic and green chillies in a blender or mortar to a coarse paste — not completely smooth.
The seeds release natural oil and the mixture naturally clumps together.
Add lemon juice and fresh coriander. Grind briefly to combine.
Add water 1 tbsp at a time only if the mixture is too dry to blend.
Taste — the chutney should be nutty (hemp), pungent (roasted garlic), spicy (chilli) and tangy (lemon). Adjust salt and lemon.
Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 week.
Serve alongside mandua roti, rice, any dal or with pakoras as a dip.